World university team selected

Saint Mary’s Huskies goalie Anthony Peters makes a save during an Atlantic university hockey game last January. Peters was named to Canada’s hockey team that will compete in next month’s Winter Universiade in Italy. (TED PRITCHARD / Staff)

Anthony Peters hasn’t played a minute in goal this season for the Saint Mary’s Huskies.

But that didn’t stop him from making the final roster for Canada’s men’s hockey team at next month’s world university games.

“I guess I’m pretty lucky,” the Huskies third-year netminder said Wednesday evening, mere hours after Canadian Interuniversity Sport announced the team that will compete in the Winter Universiade in Trentino, Italy.

“Any time you get a chance to represent your country at any level, it’s a great honour.”

The team of 22 players and one alternate is comprised entirely of players from the Atlantic university conference. The three regional conferences take turns representing Canada at the biennial event.

Peters joins Jonathan Groenheyde of St. Thomas and UPEI’s Wayne Savage in goal.

The 22-year-old from Mississauga, Ont., suffered a groin strain in pre-season and has yet to play in the Huskies’ first seven regular-season games. There’s a chance he’ll return this weekend when Saint Mary’s hosts UPEI on Friday and St. Thomas on Saturday.

“I’m feeling good,” said Peters, a second-team AUS all-star last season. “It’s been over four weeks now. I’m back on the ice, skating with the guys and that helps boost the morale. I’m doing everything that I can do under my control.

“I would love to play this weekend if I can,” he added. “But at the same time, if I’m not ready to go, I’m not going to take any chances and risk hurting myself. Once I feel confident that I’m physically ready and that I can win a game for the team then I’ll definitely be in there.”

Each of the eight AUS teams has at least one player on the Canadian squad with no more than four.

Joining Peters from the Huskies are forwards Lucas Bloodoff, the reigning CIS player of the year, and Cory Tanaka and defenceman Michael D’Orazio.

The rest of the blue-line will feature Acadia’s Chris Owens, Josh Day of St. Francis Xavier, UPEI’s Matthew Maione and Alex Wall, Marc-Antoine Desnoyers of UNB and Simon Lacroix of Moncton.

St. F.X. forward Jason Bast was selected as an alternate in case of an injury.

Thirty-eight players were invited to participate in the Tim Hortons all-star game last Friday in Fredericton. The all-star showcase served as the final identification game for Team Canada. That was followed by an orientation camp and practice over the weekend in the New Brunswick capital.

“There are so many good players in our league; it shows how strong our league is,” Peters said. “I think any of the players that were at the camp this past weekend could give this team a chance to win.

“A lot of the guys know each other outside of the AUS. They probably played junior together or played against each other and punched each other in the face. There will be a lot of respect because there’s a lot of respect in our league.”

UNB head coach Gardiner MacDougall will serve as Team Canada bench boss and will be assisted by Brad Peddle of St. F.X. and UPEI’s Forbes MacPherson.

MacDougall was an assistant to SMU head coach Trevor Stienburg in 2007, the last time the AUS represented Canada at the university games. They won gold in Turin, Italy.

The 26th Winter Universiade will run Dec. 10-21, with the hockey gold-medal game set for the final day of competition.

Twelve teams will compete in hockey. Canada is slotted in Pool A with Japan, Ukraine and Kazakhstan. Russia, Great Britain, the Czech Republic and Slovakia make up Pool B while Pool C consists of Italy, Latvia, Sweden and the United States.

The top two squads from each group and the top two third-place finishers advance to the quarter-finals.

Peters said the hockey team will depart for Italy on Dec. 7. The Canadians will face Japan on Dec. 10 in the first game of the preliminary round, followed by Ukraine on Dec. 13 and Kazakhstan on Dec. 15. All games are scheduled for 3 p.m. AT.